Insatiable
by EasterBasket
Summary: Trafalgar Law could tell that she was tired of her life in peaceful, little Hickorytown. So, it was no surprise to him when the young woman agreed to runaway with him and his crew. Law/OC
1. Welcome to Hickorytown

**A/N:**

Hello! So, I was reading some Trafalgar Law stories that were posted here on and they were all really good, though there was one problem. There were very few of them. Then, the idea for this story came to me while I was at the Hall. I always found it hard to concentrate when we would read an article in the magazine, so as always, my thoughts began to wander around.

_Pop!_

Just like that, I came up with a nifty character (sorta) to pair up with one of my favorite pirates! Though, my plot isn't fully developed and I'm a little testy on what would happen further in the story. Like most of my stories, this will be rated **M **for Mature, for any future mature content that I might decide to toss in.

As for the title, it's actually a song called _Insatiable _by Darren Hayes. Some of you might know him from Savage Garden. The song is kinda old(_kinda? _What am I saying?) , but it's one of those songs that I grew up with, and still find appealing to the ears. If you puzzle over how it is relevant to the story, then it most likely has nothing to do with the plot. I just like that song. But on the other hand, the meaning of the word 'insatiable' has something to do with the plot and/or main character, which is a character of mine.

Also, note that this story isn't beta'd, but I will try my best to spell check and proof read it. Any input or reviews on this new story is welcomed!

_**ON ANOTHER NOTE;**_

_**One Piece and it's characters do not belong to me**_ _(but if it did, there would be only six chapters to the manga so far...) **they belong to Mister Eiichiro Oda!**_

_**On the other hand, Lavender, Aunt Anabell, Mister Oak, Missus Tubbs, Harriet and Hickorytown do belong to me**_. So, if you see any thieves around, please inform me! (_No. _That does not mean if their character has the same name.)

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><p><strong>insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l]

**1. **not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased

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><p>It was a cool and crisp morning. Rays of light fell down upon the small, peaceful island. The Sunday church bell rang, and several children ran across the church yard, only to be scolded by their parents. They were all dressed in clean and ironed clothing. The men stood tall and proud in their suits and the women dressed in a sundry of dresses that were fit for the event. The young ones too were dressed suitably for the special occasion.<p>

Several adults stopped to share news and gossip, where as other seeked further guidance and preaching from the local priest. Others were heading home. Couples walked side by side, holding hands, while watching as their off-springs laughed joyously and admired the beautiful scenery.

It was a peaceful little island. There was a variation of people living there. No one cared much for where others hailed from or who their ancestors were. In this little island, everyone had a clean slate, no matter what happened in their past. Newcomers were welcomed with open arms and smiling faces. If one could say, it was almost like closed community, everybody knew each other. Pirates often saw it as a good place to attack or rob this small island, but the kindness that the citizens displayed was almost baffling, that it was almost hard to do so! They treated criminals like they would treat their own neighbors. No one judged. No one hated. It was as simple as that.

Standing in the shade of a tree, _The Surgeon of Death _observed as the happy townsfolk slowly left the church yard. Their constant smiles and laughters brought a smirk to his face. _How naive of them, _he thought, _oblivious to the true natures of the visitors that they received. _The gay townsfolk had turned a blind eye to the sheer fact that _pirates _were coming and leaving their island. A pirate crew could just as easily come in, raise hell, and leave. How would the locals then act to any future 'tourists' as someone in town had put it? Would they be resentful? Could they chase them away? Or would they still happily welcome them with bright smiles and glittering eyes?

Honestly, Trafalgar Law despised this town. He absolutely _hated_ it. Their cheerful personality annoyed him. They almost seemed _stupid._The only thing preventing him from attacking the civilians was their cooperative nature. The faster his crew restocked, the faster they could leave. Lost in his silent muse, the pirate had almost failed to notice a figure approach him.

"Excuse me, sir."

His gray eyes averted from the small church to the figure standing before him. The soft, feminine voice belonged to a woman. She was slim, a little short, with wavy strawberry blond hair that was tied back into a messy bun. Several strands of wavy hair fell to the sides of her heart shaped face. Her skin was pale, unlike his, which was tanned. She was dressed in a simple, brown vintage baby doll dress with a maroon and white floral patter, nude stockings and simple, black flats. Though her eyes seemed a bit of an oddity. They were almond shaped and a dark brown color. Like dark chocolate or a brownie...

Trafalgar could only smile his usual smile, and shifted so that he was no longer leaning on the majestic maple tree. The leaves were a bright orange and yellow, signalling that summer was over, and that winter would come soon. He'd admit, the scenery was breath taking. Re-adjusting his grip on his _nodachi_, he hooked the thumb on his free hand on the pocket of his jeans.

"I've never seen you before, and couldn't help but to wonder if you were visiting or if you had just moved in," she wondered politely, smiling back at him.

"I'm only here to restock," Law explained, keeping a pleasant tone to his voice. He didn't want to appear rude.

"Oh," the woman said and pondered for a few seconds, before egging on, "you... are a pirate, I presume?"

Unhooking his thumb, he dipped his head, his spotty hat concealing his eyes momentarily.

"Trafalgar Law," he introduce, "at your service."

The woman only laughed, though curtsied back. She didn't seem too phased by the fact that she was convesing with a coirsair.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Law," she replied, "my name is Lavender."

Her gaze dropped to the ground, which was littered with bright colored leaves from the maple tree that they were standing under. Several children behind them squealed and laughed, running after a small black dog.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Laven-"

"Lavender!" a shrill like voice called out.

A tall, slim blonde woman in a red dress and a ridiculously large sun hat stepped out of the church yard, calling out for the young woman. Lavender looked over her shoulder and waved at the older woman, possibly a relative. The woman smiled at Law, then beckoned Lavender to her side. The strawberry blonde nodded, turned to Law and smiled.

"Well," she began, "I must get going now. I hope you'll enjoy your stay, Mister Law."

Turning around, she ran over to the woman who placed her hand on Lavender's back and led her away. Both laughed and chattered happily. Standing there for a moment, Law then realized. Lavender was different from the others, who had blue, hazel or green eyes instead of brown. And unlike most of the citizens he had seen so far, none of them had almond shaped eyes. Deciding that the woman's slightly out of place appearance should not be taken seriously, Law turned around and headed back down the path he had come from.

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><p>Lavender walked down the cobble stone street, arms linked with her gleeful aunt. They conversed lightly, and discussed the religious talk that they had been given that day. The two women admired the lovely weather, for normally it wasn't this warm, but alas, nobody complained about it. In fact, it was the exact opposite. The two continued their walk to their small, yet humble abode, the ever present clicking of high heels never faltering.<p>

"I must say," Lavender's aunt began, "it is truly is a lovely wheather. Do tell dear, do you have work today?"

"I do, Aunt Anabell," Lavender replied politely, "Missus Tubbs says that it is an excellent wheather to eat outside at the patio."

"It's a shame that you have to work on a Sunday though," Aunt Anabell pouted, "you could have gone for a picnic with Mister Oak and me!"

A small smile was brought upon Lavender's lips. It was as clear as a cloudless and sunny day that Aunt Anabell and Mister Oak liked each other. The fact that the two sweethearts went about, completely oblivious about their feelings for each other, while everyone else could tell, it was quite amusing. As for Lavender's work schedule, there was nothing shameful about it! In fact, the young woman had asked to work that day, for she knew that Mister Oak and Aunt Anabell had something planned for that day. Incase she could be invited, Lavender made sure that she had plans for that day. It was only her best intention to allow the two adults to have some alone time together!

"I'll head over to the bakery after I get changed," Lavender chirped and detached her arm from her aunt's, before running over to the small wooden gate that led to their small front yard.

Pushing the waist height gate aside, Lavender ran to the front door, the skirt of her dress fluttering a little. Since nobody really locked their doors in her neighborhood, the young woman only had to twist the door knob and toss the door open before darting up the stairs to her bedroom. Aunt Anabell followed after the girl, and pulled the front door close as she walked in. There was a small huff from the older woman as she heard a loud _'thud'_ from upstairs, and a small smile graced her red lips.

Not soon after, Lavender came running down the stairs with a simple yellow sun dress, light brown leather sandals that wrapped around her ankles and a small, matching satchel. Her hair was no longer in a bun, instead, her long wavy locks were let down and comfortably rested on her shoulders. Several bobby-pins held her long bangs to the side. Trotting over to her aunt, she pecked the woman on the cheek and then headed for the door. But before the door could close, Aunt Anabell heard her cry:

"Have fun with Mister Oak-"

Then there was a faint cry:

"Love you!"

The blonde woman in the vestibule chuckled softly before retreating further into the house to get ready for her date with the man she would be meeting later on during the day. _Children these days, _she mused good naturely, _always in a hurry._

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><p>With an unsustainable laughter, Lavender ran down the cobble stone sidewalk, greeting familiar and new faces with delight. Her dress fluttered slightly and the wind brushed through her hair as she continued her trek to town. She didn't live that far, which was good. Soon, stores became to view. There were many stores; book stores, grocery stores, toy stores, cafes, clothing stores, a pharmacy, a bank... And on and on! They were all rather small, but still pleasing to the eye. Most were family owned businesses and the workers were all friendly.<p>

Arriving at a familiar navy blue bakery, the young woman found it hard to suppress a wide smile. _Missus Tubbs' Bakery. _The name wasn't anything special, but the pastries were. Each one packed with tender love. Lavender's eyes closed as the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread, fruits, and frosting reached her nose. Toning down her smile, she entered the store. There were several tall and round metal patio tables with a glass surface, with two similar looking chairs to each table. There were two flower pots hanging from the small roof like structure that was above the door and large glass windows. Two large flower pots sat neatly on each side of the door.

Nudging the door open, Lavender peeked in. She could hear clanking and clattering from the kitchen.

"Missus-" loud clattering from the back cut Lavender off, who in response gasped loudly and ran behind the counter and into the kitchen.

Standing right opposite of her, was Missus Tubbs, a small, plump, elderly lady with gray hair in a bun and glasses. She wore a simple red dress that reached her ankles with a white pinafore apron. Between them was a woman, no older than Lavender with short curly, red hair, green eyes and freckles that dotted her pale cheeks. She sat on the floor, grasping her head while pots and pans surrounded her on the floor. Staring at the red haired girl on the floor, it took Lavender several seconds to respond to the scene.

Kneeling down, she grasped her shoulders and shook her lightly. Meanwhile, Missus Tubbs sighed loundly and began rumbling and grumbling about the mess. Her complaints died out as she went to another room that was behind the kitchen and shut the door. Holding the other girl, Lavender watched the older woman walk away. Her attention soon returned to the other female, who was sobbing softly.

"Oh, Harriet," she cooed softly, "are you alright?"

There was a timid nod from Harriet and Lavender helped her to her feet before picking up the pots and pans. They were all dirty, and some where still warm. It was a relief to Lavender. If they were clean, they would have to be washed again. It was a rule that Missus Tubbs enforced. The old woman was very sweet, and loved her shop, pastries and customers. Serving them food that was cooked with utensils that had been on the floor or had not been cleaned was just unacceptable!

"I-... I'm such a klutz, Lav!" Harriet cried while leaning against the granite counter and burying her face into her hands.

Setting the kitchen utensils into the sink, Lavender turned to her friend and frowned. Walking over to her, she wrapped her arms around Harriet's slim form and pulled her into a comforting hug. She rubbed the red head's back soothingly.

"Don't say that," she said softly, "you're not a klutz."

"But I am! I can't do anything right!" Harriet wailed.

Lavender frowned even more. _That's not true. _

"Pish posh!" Lavender laughed, "you're probably just having a bad day, Harriet love. Besides, you make the best plum tarts and cherry jam in Hickorytown!"

Shakily, Harriet laughed. She found comfort in Lavender's words. Yes. Maybe that's what's wrong. She was just simply having a bad day. The two young women laughed and then busied themselves in the kitchen. Lavender threw on a similar apron that both Missus Tubbs and Harriet wore and tied her hair into a loose pony tail so that she did not get any hair on the foods (God forbid if that ever happened). Feeling better, Harriet jokingly informed Lavender that she would abstain from the treats and anything that might break, such as the plates and tea cups, which the strawberry blonde responded by laughing.

Eventually, Missus Tubbs emerged from her tiny office, and was quite pleased that work was being done. Handing Lavender a chocolate cake, she shooed the maiden out of the kitchen and into the store to decorate the cake. Taking the glass cake stand with the said treat, she did as she was told, though momentarily returned to the kitchen to get the chocolate whipped cream, some chocolate syrup, some thin pieces of chocolate and other things she would need before starting to decorate the cake.

Lavender liked decorating the cakes. It was her forte when it came to baking, not that she was bad at everything else! She remembered how horrible she used to be when she was still a child. It took her years for her to get where she was now. That also included, countless kitchen fires, burnt and raw cakes and breads and taste-tests from Aunt Anabell and Mister Oak (who would always lie, which Lavender still did not know about). Recalling the fond memories, Lavender could not help but to laugh. Once, Mister Oak had to be rushed to the doctor because of food poisoning. A tiny smile graces her lips as she used the chocolate syrup and a pastry bag to make neat and detailed swirls on the cake.

Taking a step back from her work half an hour later, Lavender allowed her dark eyes to absorb her master piece. Using the tip of her index finger, she re-adjusted one of the thin pieces of chocolate a bit. Tilting her head, she smiled widely and nodded. It was perfect! Informing the two other ladies in the kitchen, she carefully picked up the glass stand with the cake, she returned to the kitchen and placed it into the large refrigerator that Harriet had been so kind to open for her.

Sighing heavily, Lavender leaned against the cool surface of the refrigerator. Harriet laughed at her dramatic antics, while Missus Tubbs chuckled. Giggling, she pushed herself off the refridgerator, she turned to the store and began to clean her mess. While wiping the counter clean, something by the window caught her attention, or rather... _Someone_. And before she realized, she was madly waving with both hands in hopes to attract their attention. Which is exactly what she did.

After all, it was hard not to notice the woman waving wildly by the display window...

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><p>Eighteen kilobites... shot

Took me two days to type this up. I'll start chapter two, hopefully, tonight. As for my 'Raise Your Glass' readers, I have the next chapter typed up, but I still need to proof-read it. Lately... My beta has been neglecting her duties. =3= But that's okay! I'm sure she's busy with her life, which is normal~

**Constructive criticism is very much appreciated**, but my Lord... I still can't spell 'criticism' without looking it up to see if spelled it correct. (You see, I have this cheap-ghetto version of Microsoft Words... It's called WordPad. Hopefully my new computer will have a better word document thingamajig, since this one doesn't have a spellcheck on it jgfdiuh.)


	2. We Don't Discriminate Here!

**A/N:**

So, I didn't get to start the second chapter the day I published the first one, and I little motivation to type anything at all during the next few days. But now it's the weekend, so I can type all I want without worrying a thing! I was surprised to see the amount of e-mails I received! Four favorites and a review. So, knowing that people actually read the story gave me some motivation to start typing chapter two, which is this one.

I don't have much to type in the _Author's Comment _section, and so far I've received zero questions or things that I need to clarify, so I'll just go right to the credits and start the story. **One Piece and It's characters do not belong to me, they are the creation of Mister Eiichiro Oda. Lavender and the residents of Hickorytown and the town itself, however do belong to me. **

NOTE: This has some naughty language.

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><p><strong>insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l] **1. **not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased

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><p>Keenly, Law watched the young woman named Lavender walk of with the other woman. Compared to her, Lavender dressed more modestly, for she wore a knee length red dress, a large, sun hat with artificial flowers, red high heels and a matching purse. Her hair fell a little past her shoulder in bouncy ringlets. The two women laughed as they walked off. They seemed very close. As the duo vanished from his line of view, the Heart Pirates' Captain turned around and headed back to town. From what he had heard, there were various roads that lead to the town, and then a larger road that led to the docks (which he had seen himself). Arriving at a hill, Law halted. His gaze wandered to the vast sea before him. A sudden gust of wind blew from behind him, ruffling his yellow and black hoodie. A tattooed hand reached up to hold onto his furry and spotty hat. Five letters had been permanently scribed to each finger of his left hand, spelling the word <strong>'D-E-A-T-H'<strong>. Of course, there were more tattoos on both of his arms, but few knew of their purpose. Several of the tattoos resembled the World Government symbol, but it wasn't quite the same...

He stood tall and proud, and despite his lanky appearance, he had managed to capture the attention of the Marines and raised hell during his journey to the Grand Line. This would be his last stop until he would reach his current desired location, and stressed to his crew to make sure that they would have everything that they would need. God knows the next time they would dock and be able to replenish their supplies. His gray eyes shifted from the horizon to the town and docks below. He could faintly see people walking through town, entering and leaving the various boutiques. Despite having such a good view, he still had a long walk.

Continuing his walk down the rather steep hill. Once he reached the base, a faint scream caused him to halt. Curiously, he turned to face the hill and look up. Something appeared at the top, and ran down. Though, gravity wasn't being fair, and the individual stumbled several times. Law's gaze met with theirs, and for a moment, it was all good. Until reality crashed down upon both of them. Law had been thrown back to the ground on his back as who ever had rammed right into him, lay on top of him. The white furry hat had been knocked off his head, revealing his black messy hair, and his nodachi lay several feet away from them.

The pirate had been stirred out of his stupor, when he felt a pair of small hands on his chest and the weight on his vanishing. His eyes turned to the side, allowing him to carefully observe the other being. He was surprised to a woman. She was young, with short red hair that were formed in curls. She held her face, which had collided with Law's firm chest. Sitting up, Law rubbed the back of his head, and then checked to see it was bleeding. Lucky for him, it wasn't. Twisting his torso, he searched for his hat before placing it on it's rightful place on his head.

"Are you alright?" he inquired with a chuckle as the woman hastily gathered her things that had fallen out of her bag.

Upon hearing his question, her head jerked to his direction. Her bright green eyes widened, and dark freckles flaked her pale cheeks as the pirate loomed over her. Her lip quivered, then opened before closing. Immediately, she shot up to her feet, holding her bag tightly to her chest. She bowed from her waist.

"I'm sorry!" she cried out, earning another chuckle as the tanned man fetched his sword.

Law noted her flinch, widening her almost ever present half-smirk half-smile. Bending down, he plucked a small leather bound notebook off the dirt road. He held the book out to the timid woman took the book and thanked him quietly.

"You never answered my question."

The woman flinched again, for she had been too busy taking in his appearance. Tan skin, dark hair, side burns, a goatee... Though, she seemed to avoid his gaze. She stuttered for a moment, before managing to reply:

"O-oh... I'm sorry! I... I'm alright."

She fell quiet. Law shrugged turned around and continued his trek. There was a gasp from the woman, which caused him to stop once more as the red head ran past him, cursing her alarm clock and muttering something about work. Law only sneered. What a peculiar town...

Unlike the woman, Law took his time, seeing that he was in no hurry. Once he reached the lively town, he took his time to browse through the display windows, stopped by the pharmacy and a rather old looking book store that could need some cleaning, for books and dust was everywhere... Though the store did reward him for being brave enough to venture in, for when he walked out, he had obtained two useful books that would help him in his studies.

Upon passing a rather pleasant looking cafe, the doctor noticed rapid movement from the corner of his eye. He told himself to ignore it, but found himself halting and turning to the display window. Brightly colored and wel decorated cakes sat there. Alluring and inviting... Though, it was not the cakes that caused his eyes to linger on the large window longer than they should have, but rather someone. He grinned.

A familiar mass of strawberry blonde hair and face smiled back at him.

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><p>Now that Lavender had Law's attention, she stopped waving and beckoned him in. From his expression, she could tell that he was chuckling, and moved to hold the door open for him as the average height man stepped into the small bakery. The two individuals stood there, staring, until Missus Tubbs walked in, drying her hands on her apron. Behind her glasses, she observed the two young people watch her as she came out of the kitchen.<p>

"A customer?" she mused.

"No," Law allowed his signature smile/smirk hybrid to grow, "just visiting Miss Lavender."

The statement earned the pirate a satisfying reaction, for the woman blushed. Her hands moved up to feel her warm face. Law only chuckled. Seeing this, Missus Tubbs blinked before chuckling.

"I reckon' you're not from around here," the old woman observed, moving closer, "you don' seem familiar to me, sir."

Law shook his head, readjusting his nodachi.

"I come from North Blue," he replied, "I'm heading for the Grand Line."

The older woman didn't seem surprised, unlike Lavender, who's eye brows hit her hairline. He was sailing to the Grand Line? A pang of jealousy hit the strawberry blonde's heart. He was free to sail... He was free to go anywhere and everywhere he wanted to. He could see the world, while she was confined to this little island. Though, she pushed the thoughts aside. Envy, after all, was one of the seven deadly sins! And she did not want to be a sinner...

She only smiled.

"Really?" she wondered out loud, then paused, but before she could continue, a loud crash could be heard from the kitchen that seemed to startle everyone. Missus Tubbs was the first one to react, for the old woman ran to the back as fast as she could. There was a sharp yelp, which caused Lavender to flinch and run after Missus Tubbs.

Moments later, Lavender emerged from the kitchen with a weeping Harriet. She soothed the woman softly before seating her on one of the chairs. Neither paid any attention to Law, who raised both eye brows. He recognized the sobbing woman. It was the one who had ran into his earlier! He frowned upon seeing red droplets on the woman's apron. When he took a step forward, Lavender noticed too. "Oh! Harriet!" the strawberry blond cried out, "you're bleeding!"

With that said, Lavender took Harriet's hand gently into hers. Making sure that she was not probing the wound, she carefully examined it. _She must have cut herself by accident when she dropped all those plates,_ she mused with a frown. The cut seemed deep, and when applied pressure, more dark, crimson liquid oozed out. Without hesitation, Law stepped forward to take a closer look at the cut on the crying woman's hand. He reached out boldly for her wrist, startling both Lavender and her. Taking a tentative step back, Lavender could only hope that Law knew what he was doing and would not hurt her friend. She would have to trust him, and oddly, she did.

Harriet on the other hand, seemed to grow wide eyed as she recognized the man now eyeing her the cut on her palm. She had stopped crying, despite the tears that journeyed down her cheeks to her chin. It was the man he had ran over on her way to work! Immediately, her cheeks flushed to the point where the redness rivaled her hair. Her mouth opened and closed- trying her best to say something- anything!

"Y-you!" she managed to stutter out.

Without looking up, Law smirked. He could imagine the red head gawking at him in surprised.

"Me," he replied, but then turned to Lavender, "the cut doesn't require stitches, but it needs to be bandaged up. Do you have antiseptics and bandages that I could use?"

The strawberry blond placed a finger on her chin and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, before running off into the kitchen.

"Bring some water and a clean towel!"

There she saw Missus Tubbs cleaning up the pieces of porcelain and pottery off the floor and into her apron. Hurrying past the older woman, Lavender almost tossed the door to the owner's office, though prevented the handle from imbedding itself into the wall by grabbing the handle (this had happened before; for Harriet had slammed the door open a bit too hard, resulting a hole on the wall). Rummaging through the small medicine cabinet located next to some filing cabinets, she pulled out various bottles and boxes, eyeing at the labels quickly, before shoving them back in. Her hands shakily reached out for a small tube of antibiotic ointment. Reading the name several times to herself to be sure that she was right, she took the tattered box of bandages, before running back to the front of the store.

To her surprise, she saw Law cleaning the cut by dapping it gently with a small hand towel. There was a bowl of water on the table by where Harriet sat. In her confusion, Lavender tilted her head and pursed her lips, but figured that Missus Tubbs must have brought it out. Moving so that she stood next to Law, she held out the tube and box.

"Here, Mister Law," she said.

When the said man turned and took the objects from her, she took a step back and watched as the pirate tend to her workmate and friend. Her dark brown eyes were fixated on his form. She blinked when the bell by the door jingled, startling her. _A customer! _She smiled politely as a disheveled brunet walked in. He was dressed in brown trousers, wore a white button up shirt, suspenders, some boots and clutched his hat in his hands. He blushed as the strawberry blond approached him.

"Ah, hello Mister Anthony," Lavender greeted, "how may I help you?"

Anthony's blue gaze shifted between her and Law and Harriet. What was going on? His nervous gaze turned back to Lavender.

"Wha's goin' on?" he began, speaking too quickly. It was a habit that he had adopted, "Is Miss 'Arriet alright? Who's 'e? I 'ave ne'er seen 'im before. Is 'e safe? I mean, I- I-"

"Mister Anthony!" Lavender gasped, piecing together the few words that she had understood. Everyone had trouble understanding him. She stared at him wide eyed, which reminded him that he was being impolite.

"A-ah… I'm sorry," he murmured and looked at the floor. A hand was placed gently on his shoulder. This caused him to get even redder.

"It's alright," the young woman soothed, and proceeded to explain to him what had happened.

A little flushed that he had made such a big deal of something _that _small, Anthony nodded and then quickly looked up at Lavender.

"Ah! I- I came to buy some stawberreh eclairs! The usual," he announced, remembering his purpose for being there, "gran'mama loves 'em strawberreh eclairs."

Lavender smiled, excused herself and ran to the back to was her hands. When she returned, she ducked behind the counter. Pulling out a white box, Lavender began to fill it with the delicious treats. Once twelve had been placed into the box, she closed it and tied some string around it, like she was wrapping a gift! Anthony stepped forward to pay. Thanking the woman, he took the box, turned to Harriet, smiled and nodded and headed for the door. Lavender waved good bye and watched him run off with a smile.

That's when Missus Tubbs emerged from the back. The woman was drying her hands with her apron and allowed her eyes to follow Anthony's form as the young man ran off with the box of pastries. She shook her head.

"What a troublesome boy," she scowled, "never really liked him."

Both Harriet and Lavender looked at the woman with questioning looks. Law, who had finished tending to Harriet, stood up and took a step back.

"What do you mean, Missus Tubbs?" Harriet asked, managing to keep her voice level, "Anthony is such a pleasant man!"

"His family is weird, just like the rest of the backwoods people," Missus Tubbs declared.

"But Ma'am," Lavender cut in, "we don't discriminate here."

The older woman snorted and waved at the door. Taking a hint, Lavender walked around the counter and locked the door and turned the 'open' sign around so that it said 'closed'. Missus Tubbs then beckoned the three other beings to follow her. Harriet stood up and followed after her boss, while Lavender staid behind and urged Law to come as well. With a shrug, he agreed. They all entered Missus Tubbs cramped and messy office. Piles of paper, books, and boxes loomed over them majestically, threatening to come toppling down upon them. But the office had been like that for years, and so far, there had been no accidents in the private room. Lavender locked the door behind them. Law found this very strange.

Missus Tubbs took a seat on her cushioned office chair and beckoned the younger generation around her. Harriet sat at the corner of the table, while Law and Lavender were forced to sit on the small, old and red love seat. Suddenly, the room seemed darker to Lavender. She knew that Missus Tubbs knew things she wasn't supposed to, and she was aware of the consequences for knowing something that classified. Everyone knew. And for that, Lavender tried to avoid this… It was not the first time she had been in this situation, nor was it Harriet's first time either, for it had happened several times in the past. Law shifted to a much more comfortable position, where as the other two were tense. Missus Tubbs seemed grim.

"Anthony and his family," she began, leaning back and narrowing her eyes, "they're an odd bunch. Very religious, country bumpkins."

Lavender gasped and scolded to old woman for saying such things. Though she was disregarded.

"Elroy down by the Bucking Horse says that they're involved with the Occult," the woman continued, "I wouldn't be surprised if they were."

As soon as she had said that, Law had noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere. It became chilled and the woman sitting next to him shifted awkwardly. Even Harriet, who at first did not seem to mind, stiffened. HIs eyes narrowed.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but what exactly is the 'Occult'?" he inquired smoothly.

Eyes turned to him. Harriet then looked away, and Lavender dropped her gaze to her lap. Only Missus Tubbs kept her eyes on him.

"The Occult is an organization that was said to rule this island-"

"But isn't it the mayor who makes the decisions around here?"

"No, most of us old timers here believe that he just serves the Occult," Harriet cut in sharply, glancing at Missus Tubbs, who snorted.

"Now excuse me!" Missus Tubbs snarked, "who are you calling an old timer?"

Lavender looked at Law from the corner of her eye. He seemed to be enjoying this a lot.

"People have known to disappear for going against the Occult or the rules that they have set down for us," Lavender began timidly, gaining everyones scrutiny, "they say that they send their dogs to collect the opposer in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping… Some have said to see large cloaked figures in the fields and vanish into the woods at night. Even though it's a rumor, it's still frightening."

Harriet snorted and then picked at her finger nail.

"I think there's been enough occasions that prove that they're not just rumors," Missus Tubbs began, "Benny from Apple Orchard hill vanished three months ago and Leroy, Elroy's brother vanished about four weeks ag-"

"Don't forget Beneatha!" Harriet piped up, "even though she was nothing but a walking pile of skin and bones, she was insane and kept on blabbering about men wearing pointy hoods, carrying sickles and dancing around a large bonfire."

Missus Tubbs nodded agreement.

"I reckon she vanished as well, correct?" Law inquired, interested. _Such a peculiar island, _he thought to himself.

Before anyone could respond, there was loud pounding from the front of the building. Harriet and Lavender jumped and Missus Tubbs got to her feet. She motioned the younger ones to stay in the room before she unlocked the door and went out. Softly she closed the door, calling out to who ever was banging at the glass door violently that she was on her way. Back in the dark office, Lavender fidgeted in her seat while Harriet shivered and twitched occasionally. The mood was heavy. None dared to say a word. They could hear muffled speech through the door. There was a sense of urgency in their tone. Harriet began to move off the table, until Lavender whipped her gaze to the red head. The look on her face was enough to cause Harriet to think twice. Looking at the door, Lavender got up and gingerly tip toed to the door. Both Harriet and Law observed her carefully as she pressed the side of her head against the wooden surface.

God forbid if Harriet had been the one to do the eavesdropping… With the luck that she's been having all day, the chances of them being discovered could get them in trouble in some way. Focusing on the voices, she listened…

Whoever had barged in, sounded angry. Their tones were hushed, and harsh. She could pick up some words, and the more she focused, the more she heard. Her eye brows furrowed, and her mouth was slightly open at what she heard. Harriet clenched her teeth, waving her arms. Lavender looked back at the two other people in the room and raised a finger, causing Harriet to stop as she continued to listen. Suddenly, she turned pale. Very, very pale…

That's when the red flag went up. Harriet got off the table and Law stood up. Law being closer, moved to catch Lavender as she stumbled back in shock. Harriet cringed. Hopefully no one out front heard that… Her thoughts returned to Lavender, who was held by the dark haired, hat wearing male. She was oddly still. She was… Frightened. Quietly, Harriet crept across the room over to Law and the strawberry blond. She reached out to touch Lavender's shoulder and whispered:

"What did you hear, Lav? What did you hear…?"

Lavender raised her eyes to stare at Harriet. Her mouth closed and opened, but no sound came out. There was this primitive look in her eyes. The voices escalated to alarming heights. Things had become heated out there. A familiar voice reached Harriet's ears. _Is… Isn't that Benny's father?_

_**"Fucking Christ, Mallory! My son's head was found floating in the river and you want me to take it easy!"**_

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><p>… Yeah. That's about it for chapter two. So, this was a little delayed because I was getting a new computer, so I deliberately held up writing this chapter. I wanted to test out the word document program on the computer. It's really good, better than the one on my Vista. Though I still haven't gotten used to my new computer. The screen has got to be at least 25 inches diagonally. In fact, my eyes feel really kinda funny. I think I'll go to bed after this. But yeah… At least I get squiggles underneath a word if I misspell it, so I don't have to keep using a spellchecker on line. And I apologize if I might have used some words too many times… ._.<p>

Anyways, reviews are always welcome, and if you plan on giving out criticism, make sure it's constructive. I want to be able to take your comments and improve my writing, and not feel like garbage… I work really hard on these. I don't know when I'll start typing chapter three, though I have a pretty good idea for what's going to happen in the next few chapters. :)


	3. Grief, Resentment, Vexation

**A/N: ** Hello, EasterBasket here! How is everybody today? :) I'm quite happy that you're reading this (story and Author's Note). I don't want to bore my readers with poorly developed plots and characters, or uninteresting stories. I received a few 'Favorites' after when I posted the second chapter and a review as well! The review meant a lot to me, so thank you **ObsidianPhantom**! When I quickly checked my e-mail while I was seeing if anyone called me while I was having dinner at my friend's house and meeting her sister's in-laws for the first time, I was was very pleased with myself. And ironically, we were talking about **Lost **(the television series that I really need to start watching) prior to receiving the notification.

**ObsidianPhantom**: Oh, thank you! Your praises mean so much to me. I was a little scared that I had butchered Law's character since it is my first time writing for him and it's hard for me to get a solid/compact grip on his personality, since he has not appeared as much as say for example Monkey D. Luffy, who would be considerably easier to write about since he is the main character and has so many appearances in the series.

**Ah! I also realized that I had made a mistake on the previous chapter:**

_"But isn't it the mayor who makes the decisions around here?"_

_"No, most of us old timers here believe that he just serves the Occult," Harriet cut in sharply, glancing at Missus Tubbs, who snorted._

When I had first typed Harriet's response to Law's question, I had planned to make Missus Tubbs say it, but then I decided to change it, without realizing to change some of the wording. So, where it says "_most of us old timers" _it should say "_most of the old timers"._

So, just disregard that mistake, and know that I'm most likely not going to go back and change it, but just know that I've seen and acknowledged the mistake.

So, without a further ado:

**CREDITS**

**One Piece and it's characters belong to the wonderful Mister Eiichiro Oda**

**Hicktorytown and it's residents belong to me**

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><p><strong>insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l] **1. **not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased

* * *

><p>It was very still in the dark room. No one seemed to move as the words finally sunk in. The air in the small office had grown heavy to the point where it almost suffocated the young people in it, well, save for one. The said person shifted a little to a better position while he continued to support the trembling strawberry blonde clung to him.<p>

What he could piece together was that someone who had done something to displease this 'Occult' resulting in him vanishing, only to have his head found floating in a river. Guessing from the urgency in the man's voice who was now violently arguing with Missus Tubbs, they had just found the said body part. An almost sickening grin like smile etched out in his tan face. An hour or so prior to this incident, he had claimed this town to be too boring for him, but now… Things had become interesting.

The woman in his arms began to move, causing him to avert his gray eyes from the door to the figure that no longer leaned on him. She pushed her hair back and then pulled on it lightly. He could see her body shake a little. Perhaps she knew the victim? Law could hear shuffling next to him and spied Harriet move towards Lavender. In a comforting manner Harriet wrapped her arms around the said female. There was a muffled moan from Lavender as she quietly sobbed into Harriet's shoulder. Her body trembled.

If he had known more about this situation, he would have said something. But for now, Trafalgar Law was at a loss for words. Back in the shop, the arguing had ceased, and the door opened before closing. Footsteps approached the office and Missus Tubbs walked in sluggishly, her feet slightly dragging. With a sigh, she brushed past Lavender and Harriet, who had moved to the love seat and past Law to the window. Opening the blinds, she stared out the window.

For the longest time, no one said a thing. Lavender's sobs and and Harriet's murmurs of solace were the only things that filled the air. The only sounds that killed the silence. And then, to Law's relief, the aged woman finally said something:

"I take it that you three heard the news about Benny."

Her voice was grim and filled with bitterness. Law raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Who was he?" he inquired almost instantly.

"He was the son of the man who had just visited my little shop. He worked as a blacksmith. Bennie was a fine boy," she explained and then turned her head to gaze at Lavender with a distant look, "he was also Lavender's classmate. They were sort of… An item back in primary school, but decided to end it seeing that their relationship could not further bloom."

Harriet looked up at the two standing figures in front of her. Her eyes were dull. Her shoulders were slouched as if all energy had been drained out of her.

"They still remained good friends," Missus Tubbs continued, though spoke as if she was musing to herself, "poor, poor Benny."

And then, it was quiet again, save for the soft crying. Law rubbed his chin, which sprouted a small patch of black hair, thoughtfully. So, whoever went against this 'Occult', were visited by hooded figure and taken away in the middle of the night, and that this Benny, who had just been found (or what was left of him), was one of the victims. His eyes narrowed. He turned back to Missus Tubbs and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid that I must take my leave so I may inform my crew of the current situation," he informed, "we'll be leaving in a few days, and I want us to set sail as smoothly as possible."

He turned to Harriet and Lavender, bowed curtly and strolled out of the door.

"Thank you for your time," he drawled from the front of the shop, before the bell by the door jiggled.

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><p>Dusk had fallen upon Hickorytown. The opaqueness of the sky and the countless stars that littered the sky were breath taking. The night sky was clear of any clouds, and Law had found himself admiring the view from the deck of his yellow submarine. His eyes followed the Big Dipper to the Small Dipper, and at the very tip of the Small Dipper, the pirate captain could spy Polaris. He was no astronomer, but any sailor should now how to read the stars, or at least the basics if they wished the survive out at sea. Also, this was something he had learned in school.<p>

Behind him, the floor boards creaked as a large bear wearing an orange jumpsuit approached him. There was a mug cradled in his large paws.

"Captain."

"Bepo."

"I don't like this island," the polar bear admitted quietly and extended his paws out to Law.

"We'll be out of here in a few days, Bebo," the captain replied and took the mug.

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><p><em> Wide eyes watched ahead as the slim figure ran through the field. The tall stalks brushed her sides and arms. Not daring to look back, the strawberry blond continued to navigate her way through the maze. Her breathing came out in quick puffs. It was cold. A violent shiver ran up her spine as the woman in the yellow sundress kept running. Goosebumps slowly crawled up her arms.<em>

_ The constant beating of her heart rang in her ears. Her eyes searched the darkness, for any salvation. Any where were she could hide. Sadly, she found none. Her paste became slower as she reached a clearing. It was a circle where the hay was missing stepping into it, her head frantically turned. Shadowed figures approached her from where she had came from, and out of fear, the young woman took a step back, but her back hit something. With a loud gasp, she allowed her fingers to feel the hard surface. _

_ Her blood ran cold. It was wood. The figures kept their advance on her, though the wooden object behind her seemed to interest her more. Almost afraid, she turned around and gingerly looked up. Her eyes narrowed in the darkness, trying to see. She could tell it was a pole of some sort, and that something was on the pole. Narrowing her eyes even more, she tried to see. Something warm suddenly splattered onto her face. Out of reflex, her eyes closed. _

_ Her hands flew up to her face as she tried to wipe it off her eyes. Turning her back to the figures, the woman stumbled a few steps back as she rubbed the sticky substance from her eyes. When it was face for her to open her eyes, she did. Slowly at first, but then more confidently. Blinking, she could see light. Light… So bright. Then, it dawned to her. Fire. Her eyes widened as she realized… The field around her was on fire! She, she was trapped! With a cry of despair, she began to look for a way out. The mysterious figures that had given chase to her were no longer there, and she was thankful for that._

_ While turning and twisting, her eyes landed on the wooden pole before her. Her movements slowed down until they were completely suspended. The fire flickered in her eyes as she stared in fear. Her mouth hang open slightly as if to say something. Anything… But no noise would come out. It was hard when you stared at the mauled figure of someone who used to be your sweetheart. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes. Unknown to her, the flames seemed to have moved closer. So close that they almost liked at her skin._

_ Tied high up on the pole was a man, no older than the girl with dirtied blonde hair. His skin was pale and bruised, and where a pair of beautiful blue eyes used to be, were only empty, dark sockets that stared into nothingness. Various cuts littered his torso, and his legs were nailed to the post with large, rusty nails. The woman could only shiver at the sight. By now, the fire was dangerously close. It was so close, so close that it could burn her. Any normal person would have felt it, but she didn't. _

_"N-no…" she managed to croak out weakly "n-… __**NO!**__"_

With a shriek, Lavender shot up to a sitting position, her clammy hands holding her own face. With wide, almost crazed eyes, she stared at the sheets through her fingers. Her body trembled and a light layer of sweat covered his pale skin as the bright moonlight hit her terrorized form. There was a strangled sob for the young woman as she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face into her arms, which she crossed on her lower limbs. Her horrifying dream, still fresh in her mind, triggered a chain of emotions. Grief, resentment, vexation, but most of all… Lavender felt fear. A whole wave of the said emotion consumed her frail body.

Her arms uncrossed and her fingers entangled in her locks, tugging on her roots painfully. Her body shook even more as tears spilled down her cheeks. The face in her dreams. Despite is being bruised and cut… Despite having the eyes carved out gruesomely, she could identify him. A trail of sobs slipped through her lips, and for a brief moment, she found it hard to swallow, for a painful lump had formed in her throat. There was a moan, followed by a stream of shaky, incoherent, whispers.

"Oh God…" she wailed, "Benny…"

Just hearing his name, even coming from her own lips, sent her into such a state, that one might have thought her to be crazy. Untangling one hand from her mass of hair, she rubbed her eyes and cheeks in hopes of drying her tears, but her efforts proved to be unfruitful. More salty droplets fell, cascading down her red cheeks.

Despite ending things between Benny, it still hurt unbelievably. It was… It was so painful. Another trail of sobs emitted from her. She had loved Benny, perhaps not very romantically, but they were very close. When she had first heard that Benny had vanished, Lavender denied it. She denied it with all her might, though in the inside, she was crying. Crying and screaming for _them _to return him. To return him to her. They had remained friends. Very close friends. Benny had been someone Lavender trusted. Someone she felt secure when in their presence.

"N-nnooo," she moaned as her chest tightened and heart throbbed painfully.

Her chest felt hollow. Before Benny's disappearance, she remembered him telling her something. Something that caused her to distant herself from him. Unknown to her, he would only be around for a few days. And then, he vanished. The memory of their argument weighted heavily in her mind. She felt responsible for his death. No, she _was _responsible for his death. The very thought of it stabbed her right through the heart. The clock on her bedside table ticked loudly. The gears in her mind turned. There was one thing she could do. Just one…

_I have to get out._

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><p><strong>AN:**

I feel like this was a _really _short chapter. And it probably is. It took me a really long time to write this chapter, mainly because I've been packed with school work, distractions, and the feeling of not being motivated to write _anything _at all. So, yeah. I was a little nervous about writing about Law in the beginning, and I was told in the last chapter that I wrote about his really well. I got a little hesitant in this one because I didn't want to butcher his character by letting the praise get to my head…

Yup. I don't know when chapter four will be coming out, but hopefully sometime soon.


	4. Hesitations and Decisions

**A/N: **My explanation as to why this chapter came out so late is posted on my profile. Yeah. Thank you to those who read and added this story to their favorites or alert list (or to both), _and _a very big thank you to those who added _me _to your alert or favorite list!

Also, a shout out to **i88**! S/he gave the that push that I needed to finish this story. I truly apologize for the lateness though…

**Disclaimer: **

**The wonderful world of One Piece and it's marvelous characters belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

**Hickorytown, its residents, and Lavender belong to me.**

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><p><strong>insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l]

**1. **not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased

* * *

><p>The very next morning, the Captain of the Heart Pirates had woken earlier than usual. Checking the clock on the wall of his private quarters, it dawned to him that it was a little before five. With a grumble, he rolled onto his stomach and buried his face into his pillow. God he hated going to bed late. Not only would he wake up ridiculously early, and sleep only for a few hours, his body would ached here and there and his nose felt stuffy.<p>

The books that he had purchased kept him up, because once the doctor began to read, it was almost impossible for him to set it down. Of course he himself was familiar with what would happen when he did this, yet he still carried on doing it. After a few moments, Law rolled on to his back and sat up. Running his hand through his short hair, he stood up, wobbled a little, before setting out to complete his _early_ morning agenda.

The crew was still asleep, and Law had about an hour to waste before their current chef would start making breakfast. He could almost guess what it was, for during meals, they didn't have that much of a variety. Their engineer, Shachi, could only cook so much, since he was more focused on keeping their yellow submarine running than reading the cook book. But no one really complained. As long as the food was edible and kept them nourished, it would do until they found a proper cook.

After a quick shower, and putting on some clean clothes, Law took his nodachi off a rack that was on his cluttered desk and left his room with the sword in tow. When he opened the door that led to the deck, he had to blink and then squint. A heavy mist shrouded the land scape. He had to squint in order to make out the dark shapes in distance. It was still dark, and the ground was moist. It must have rained over night, Law thought as he headed towards town. Though the chances of any of the shops to be open this early...

Needless to say, the pirate was quite surprised to see the lights on in a familiar little bakery... With a lop-sided smirk, he threaded over to the said shoppe and peered in. A familiar mop of hair emerged from the kitchen and placed a delicious looking cheesecake onto the display. Without much thought, he rapped the window. An amused huff escaped from his lips when he saw Lavender jump. Once he had her attention he waved.

In return, he received a weak smile before the young woman scuttled to the door, unlocked it and beckoned him in. Once in, she closed the door and locked it. After all, the store wouldn't be opened till seven.

"Good morning," Lavender greeted meekly.

Law took note of her slumped shoulders, and dark bags beneath her eyes. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her dress rumpled. He concluded that she must have not slept well. But alas, who would after finding out that their previous beau's head was found floating in the river?

"You wouldn't mind if I ordered something, would you?" he drawled while eyeing the different cakes that were in display.

Lavender, who had been lost in stupor, jumped, staring at him wide eyed.

"I-I beg your pardon? I-I wasn't..." she began hastily, searching for words to her apology, but was silenced by a raised hand.

"I'll have two cups of coffee and a slice of that cheesecake," Law ordered while strolling over to the counter while pulling out his wallet.

Once again, Lavender was out of it...

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><p>With her hands around the warm coffee cup, Lavender watched as Law ate away on the cheesecake that she had prepared the night before. Occasionally he took a sip from his own cup of coffee. He had been kind enough to purchase her a cup as well. The employee assumed that Law had figured out that she in fact, had not slept that well. Was it that obvious?<p>

Too busy fussing over the fact that whether she looked tired or not, Lavender had once again failed to realize that Law had said something to her. Her cheeks turned pink and despite her lack of energy, she still managed to look surprised when Law's tan fingers snapped in front of her face. She looked up at him sheepishly; murmur her apology, before looking down at her lap almost shamefully. _I'm being awfully rude…_ she thought to herself.

"Hu-uh…?" she vocalized, earning an amused smirk from Law, who pressed his lips against the coffee mug.

"I said, 'you're tired'," he repeated, "have you considered going home? I'm sure Missus Tubbs would understand."

At this, Lavender shook her head, her strawberry blonde locks falling off her shoulders. Her tired eyes narrowed almost sadly. Work was the only thing she could really do. Everyone was so busy these days, except for the children. They could play all they wanted! Roll and tumble down the hill, play in the grass… Sometimes, she wished she could join them, but alas, according to everyone else, she was too old for child's play. Plus, she was a lady.

"N-no," she replied almost weakly, "I can't."

This caused Law to arch an eye brow at the statement. Placing the mug down on the table, he propped his emboss on the wooden surface, laced his fingers and then rest his chin on the back of his hands.

"And why not?"

"Too much… Too much time to think," Lavender said, her voice reaching a pitch, her voice cracking.

"About what?"

"I-…" the distress was visible in her wide, panic stricken eyes, "about Benny…"

At this, Law dropped his arms and leaned back. _Benny? _It then clicked in the doctor's head. _Oh, him._

"But that's not all," Lavender whispered, "before he-… died, he suggested we ran away. Together. Just leave the island, but I told him that I wouldn't go, because… if you do, they'll find you… And then they'll bring you back and kill. T-to serve as a warning to the others."

Law's jaw tightened suddenly as his gray eyes turned to Lavender's slouched form. What?

"Of course, I wanted to leave with him," she continued her head slumped to one side and her eyes were cast to the floor. _Why am I telling him this?_ "But I told him that he was crazy for having such ideas. Someone must have heard us and in formed them. And then they- the Occult must have-!"

Placing on hand over her eyes, Lavender bit her bottom lip as her shoulders began to tremble. A soft, pained sob escaped from her lips…

Once Lavender had calmed down and stopped crying, Law leaned against the table. A thoughtful look appeared on his face.

"If you want… you can join my crew," he suggested nonchalantly, "judging by your baking abilities (implying at the cheesecake), I take it you can cook?"

Lavender nodded, surprised by Law's first statement, her eyes shifted to the side and a small, solemn smiled appeared on her face.

"Yes, I can cook, but I don't know how things usually work on a ship…"

"You can be taught."

"We could get caught by the Occult."

"We'll find a way," Law replied flatly and picked up his coffee cup and taking a sip. If the coffee she made was this good and she her cooking was good, he'd definitely like to have Lavender on his ship. The crew would appreciate it too since their current cook was no good.

"Really?" there was a slightly tint of hope- of joy, in the young woman's voice. Her eyes almost seemed to twinkle. _Almost. _Would Law really help her escape? _Would he?_ "You'll really take me into you crew?"

"I said you can, didn't I?" came a laid back reply.

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><p>That night, Lavender pulled out a tattered brown leather suitcase. Placing it on her bed, she opened in and whisked over to the oak wardrobe next to her door. Opening it, she grabbed the necessities, undergarments, some shirts, a few pants, a pair of shorts, a sweater, and some of her favorite dresses. She placed them into the open suitcase so that there was space for some other items, such as sandals and some boots, necessities such as toothbrush, brush, toothpaste and some accessories that she had. Searching through the drawers on her desk, she pulled out some important documents, photos, notes and a stash of berries that she had saved up. These she put in the suitcase before closing the said item. She put the straps on, ensuring that it stayed close.<p>

Law had told her to take some of her important things and some clothes. He had promised that they would stop at the next island and buy whatever she was missing and some more clothes for suitable climates and such. The idea was to travel light. Testing the weight of the suitcase, Lavender concluded that it was not too heavy. Setting it by the window, she pressed her fingers against the smooth surface of the glass. Her eyes scanned the horizon. It was so dark, except for the pale moon that shone brightly in the sky. _It's actually happening, _Lavender thought, her heart fluttered at the idea,_ I'm actually leaving this island._

Turning around, the strawberry blonde walked back to her bed and sat down. She wore a pair of gray overalls where the pant sleeves reached the middle of her thigh and a white, long sleeves shirt under it. The hair on the sides of her face was pulled back and secures with a butterfly shaped hair clip. On her feet there were a pair of ballet flats. Her eyes wandered over to the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight. Then, Lavender's eyes traveled over to the widow. Law had not given her a specific time when they were leaving, but he did say that he would send someone to get her.

A sudden thought entered her mind. What if Law had been lying? What if he'd forgotten? Or-... Her eye lids grew heavy. What if something had gone wrong? Gently she laid down on her bed, her feet dangling off the edge, the tips of her shoes lightly grazing at the floor.

Her eye closed. _So close to freedom..._

When she woke up, Lavender shot up with a gasp. She picked up quiet rapping, which sent her heart and mind into a frenzy. Her eyes widened as she rapidly turned her head around, trying to locate the source of the eerie sound. Was it the Occult? Had they found out about her plan p join the Heart Pirates and leave the island. Quickly, she stood and rushed to the window, only to jump back with a squeak. Her hand flew to her chest in a vain attempt to calm down the rapid beating of her heart.

A smirk graced Law's face as his eyes met Lavender's. Amusement flickered in his gray orbs. He motioned her over, then cautiously glancing over his shoulder to make sure that no one was watching. Stepping forward, Lavender unlocked the widow and nudged it so that it gently swung open. For a brief moment, Law's head vanished as he ducked to avoid getting hit. Once the window was wide open, Law reappeared.

"Everything is packed, Miss?"

Lavender nodded and hoisted her suitcase onto the window sill. Law reached out, taking the suitcase before disappearing again. The woman leaned against the opening, her eyes following Law as he nimbly hung on the tree branch by her window by his leg, her suitcase dangling in one hand... That's when Lavender realized that he was not alone...

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><p>That's all for now! I'll hopefully come out with chapter five soon (<em>hopefully<em>). Reviews are much loved! I feel like I should start making a list of all the people who reviewed/favorite'd/etc this story... Does that sound like a good idea?


	5. Escape and Brief Introductions

**A/N: **Geeze, it's about time I got this chapter all typed out and stuff. Though I'm using my dad's mSi laptop and it's so _weird_. I've been so used to the keyboard on my Mac, and it's just sofjdshf when I type on the laptop. Yeah. It'll definitely take some time to get used to.

I would like to thank everyone who's reviewed my story, added my story and me to their author lists, and followed my story and me. It really means so much to me.

**DISCLAIMER:**

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

Lavender and Hickorytown and it's residents belong to me.

**NOTE:**

This story has not been beta'd. I just ran it through a spellchecker, so I apologize for any grammar or spelling errors! 

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><p><strong>insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l]

**1. **not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased

* * *

><p>Lavender blinked once, and then twice, just to make that she had not been dreaming. Was that what she thought it was? Realizing that she had been gawking a bit too rudely, she focused on climbing out of her window and onto the branch where Law was hanging on. The pirate passed her luggage to the creature standing by the base of the tree, who took the object without question. Taking a hold of the branch with both hands, Law unhooked his legs and just kinda hanged there. Letting go, he nimbly dropped down, landing on the cobble stone pathway with grace. At the drop, Lavender swallowed. There was no way she could land on her feet from a drop like that!<p>

So, she resolved to hugging the tree and carefully sliding down the bark. Once her feet touched the ground, her eyes turned to Law and the..._bear_. It's presence unnerved her though the fact that the white white bear was standing on it's back legs and wearing an orange jumpsuit- Lavender wasn't sure how to feel about it- him? The notorious pirate noticed the young woman's uneasiness and smirked.

"Miss Lavender," he said, keeping his voice down, "this is Bepo, he's my first mate."

_O-oh!_ Lavender's eyes widened, as she realized who she had been staring at so insolently.

"B-but..." she stammered, "The bear- he's a-a... a bear!"

Bepo, the bear, stared back and then turned his gaze down when she'd mentioned the fact that he was a bear. Noticing this, the female flinched and then reached out.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," she stuttered hastily, but then mumbled, "I didn't mean it in a bad way, Mister Bepo. I was just... a little surprised."

"You two can get better acquainted once we get to the ship," Law cut in quickly, "but now, we have to go before we're seen."

Law reached out to the bear and plucked the large nodachi from the bear's paw and then beckoned Lavender to follow. Pushing the small wooden gate open, Law led her out to the street, before continuing his trek down the pathway. Giving her aunt's cozy cottage one last look and her last goodbye, she followed after the pirate captain. They traveled quick, yet made sure not to disturb anyone, or worse, draw attention to them.

The ever present mist lingered over their island, and for the first time, the strawberry blonde realized how... eerie the place that she once called a sanctuary, was. Though the mist did offer them some cover. As they approached town, they slowed down from their brisk walk, so a more... cautious one. Lavender remained close to Law as she looked around nervously. An unsettling feeling made itself comfortable in her stomach. The town... It looked _dead_. The houses were dark and the streets were empty. Not even a rat scuttled on the lonely streets.

"Law," Lavender whispered hesitantly, "this... this doesn't feel right."

Looking over his shoulder, the said man opened his mouth to respond, though paused as he stared at something over Lavender's head. His mouth closed and he motioned Bepo to move. Without a question, the animal shifted to the side while staring at his captain through his beady eyes while clutching Lavender's suitcase. Law's face screwed up and he swore.

"Go," he hissed, placing a hand on Lavender's back.

The woman looked up at him in confusion and then turned her head to face town. There- in the mist, little balls of light. They were multiplying and getting larger and larger. _What're those?_ she puzzled until feint shouting reached her ears. She stood there, perplexed by what was going on. As dark shapes in the mist began to appear, it dawned to her. Eyes widening, she allowed Law to guide her.

"_Go, go, go_!" he ushered as they ran down the street. The silence and emptiness seemed to make their footsteps much louder. Lavender was sure that they were echoing as they turned to a narrow pathway between two buildings.

_The Occult_, Lavender thought bitterly, someone found out. But _how_? Lavender had only discussed her escape with Law in the cafe. After that, they didn't even see or speak to each other to avoid suspicious. When they did discuss about their plans, she was sure that they had been alone! Her mind reeled as they turned around another corner. Shouts behind them became increasingly louder as she could see the pointy shapes of large hoods. The torches that they carried illuminated the figures.

They carried sickles, ropes, few even had a pitchforks. At that moment, Lavender had understood what Missus Tubbs had meant about Anthony and the '_backwoods_' people. No one saw a pitchfork in town , save for one store. No one had use for them, save for the farmer. The farmers, they lived way in the heart of Hickorytown, where as the town and Lavender's house was located by the coast. _But now I'm judging and jumping to conclusions_, Lavender mused, then focused her attention back to the path ahead of her.

"Over there!" Law pointed out, his eyes fixated on one of the docks.

What Lavender saw- must've been the strangest ship she had even seen. It was painted bright yellow and white. It had two lamps on the outside and small, circular windows. Two large masts, but no sails. Her brows furrowed. How were they supposed to sail with no sails? Her dark brown eyes then fell to the large emblem painted on the side of the ship. It was the exactly the same that was on Law's shirt. Then, the unsettling word _'DEATH' _was printed in black capital letters next to the smiling face.

"Captain!" someone called out to them from the ship.

"Shachi!" Law called out, "ready the ship for submersion!"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Sub...submersion?" Lavender echoed and looked at Law.

Though he said nothing to quench her curiosity, nor did he even look at her. But when a loud shriek and '_thud_' reached his ears, Law looked to where Lavender had disappeared to, only to have Bepo grab him and throw him over his shoulder. The Captain's tired eyes widened when he saw how close the men dressed in white had gotten (and due to Bepo's bold actions). Looking to his right, he saw Lavender thrown over Bepo's other shoulder, holding onto the handle of her suitcase with both hands. Her eyes were wide and her bottom lip trembling.

Their angry shouts reached their ears without any difficulty, but what surprised Law was that how none of the lights in the houses flickered on at the racket outside. He doubted that they were heavy sleepers, and could only conclude that The Occult held quite a lot of power in this odd little island.

A loud '_**boom**_' above them startled Lavender. Her heart leaped and her eyes widened even more. Tilting her head back, she looked up at the sky. Dark, gloomy clouds loomed above them. There was a loud rumbled and a quick flash of light before they were pelted by rain. It started with a few small drops here and there, until they were practically bombarded with drops of liquid. Closing her head and bowing her head, Lavender held onto her suitcase harder as if it were going to slip from her fingers any moment.

The distance between the two parties began to grow shorter and shorter, but to Lavender's relief and fear, Bepo suddenly leaped into the air. She looked to her side at Law, who only held on to his hat and looked at her nonchalantly. Her hair clung to her face and seemed like she'd been hit with a brick. There was a loud '_thud_' as bear landed on the ship's deck and ran through the large door. Darkness engulfed them as the metal door was shut behind them- drowning the shouts of the men outside. The ship rumbled and the lights flickered on. Lavender's eyes closed simultaneously at the brightness, but when she opened them, she came face to face with a pair of black oval shades, a blue hat with a red bill, and a brown hair. She squeaked loudly and flailed, startling the man who took a step back with a gasp.

"Captain! Who the bloody hell is she!" the main called out and faced the dark skinned man, who was currently being set down.

"Our new chef," the Captain explained simply while removing his hat from his head and shaking the drops of water out of the white, spotted fur.

"Wait... That means I don't have to cook anymore?"

When Lavender's feet touched the wooden surface, she fell forward. Though before she met the floorboards, someone caught her by the back of her overalls.

"Miss Lavender?" it wasn't hard to guess who it was, "are you alright?"

"B-bolas," she managed to reply as she let go of her suitcase, which landed on the floor with a soft '_thunk_'.

"Pardon?" Law inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"M-my legs," Lavender stuttered while placing her hands on the metal walls on the ship and straightened herself. _M-metal walls?_ she puzzled, _aren't ships usually made out of wood?_ "My legs- someone threw a bolas. Now I can't move them."

When the three men looked down at her ankles, they saw that they'd been tied together by what seemed like a long strand of rope with two weights at each end. Someone had thrown them at her, and the weights caused the rope to wrap around her ankles, binding her legs. Letting go of her gray overalls, Law turned to Shachi and the two began to discuss their ships condition. Meanwhile, Lavender had managed to awkwardly hop closed to the wall, which she leaned against and began to untie the hunting tool from her legs. It wasn't the first time she'd seem one. It was a common hunting tool in Hickorytown. She could remember riding out with Benny back when he'd still been in the process of courting her. He'd explained to her how it worked and how you were supposed to use it before demonstrating on a hare that his beagle had sniffed out. He'd even offered her to try it, but Lavender said 'no' explaining to him that they might lose the game.

The next day to her surprise, she woke to Benny serenading outside her window before taking her out into his backyard and taught her how to use a bolas.

A sharp, wolf-whistle from behind Lavender caused her to stand up, for she'd been bending over while untangling the tool. Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. The sound had alerted Law, who turned around, and Shachi, who peered around his captain. Another man approached them, wearing a jumpsuit just like the one Shachi was wearing with a black hat with flops in the sides, a white area above the yellow bill that said 'PENGUIN' in black letters, and a red pompom on the top.

"Hey Captain!" the man called out, "who's the chick?"

The man stood next to the strawberry blonde, who leaned away from him and closer to the wall. Her face still red, though it was marred with the fact that she was uncomfortable with him being so close to her.

"Penguin," Law began with a chuckle, yet there was a certain edge to his words, "this is Miss Lavender, our new chef."

The man, Penguin, seemed taken back by the response. He took a step back and bowed slightly while holding onto his hat.

"_O-oh_," he cheeped, then cleared his throat, "sorry 'bout that. The name's Penguin. It's nice to meet you, Lavender."

He then held out his hand, his cheeks were slightly pink, though Lanveder silently hoped because he was embarrassed. Remembering her manners, Lavender smiled shyly and shook his hand.

"Likewise."

Law approached the two, their attention focused on him.

"Miss Lavender, since this is a crew of men, you being the only woman, I've made arrangements for you to be sharing a room with Bepo. I've talked with him, and he doesn't mind."

It was hard not to look at the bear, who seemed indifferent towards the matter. Lavender nodded.

"If you would please follow him, he'll show you two your new sleeping quarter as well as the kitchen and the rest of the ship."

With a nod and a meek 'yes' Lavender fetched her suitcase and followed Bepo. As the two walked down the empty hall, Bepo turned to Lavender.

"Since I'm your superior, you'll have to do as I say," he stated.

Lavender's brows furrowed at this, and before she could realize what she was about to say, she blurted out:

"But... You're a bear..."

When she did realize that the fact that being a bear was a sensitive topic to Bepo, the bear had hung his head dejectedly, murmuring an apology. The young woman flinched and then held up a hand. Her eyes widened and she mentally kicked herself. Oh, if only Aunt Anabell would see her now! She would be so upset with the rudeness her niece was displaying!

"N-no!" Lavender stammered and then proceeded to babble on nervously, "I-I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry, but... I take Law's orders... I think... I'm not sure"

She wasn't really sure if she took Law's orders only. It was her first time being a part of a crew, so she didn't know exactly how things worked. Since she was new, did she do what everyone told her, or just what Law told her to do_? Oh dear_, she fretted, _was it truly wise to leave Hickorytown?_

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><p>Good question. Was it? Reviews are much appreciated! They give me motivation to write, and makes me aware that people also read my story. :-) I try to respond to your messages too and answer any questions you have. But this is all for this chapter! Stay tuned for more and thanks for reading~<p> 


	6. Broken Cabinets and Dirty Magazines

**A/N: **Whoo! Chapter six~ Thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter, you know who you are! ;-)

This chapter has been both spell checked **and **proof read, though some unnoticed mistakes might be there. I don't have a beta reader for this story, saddly. So I apologize if you see any mistakes. But you not need to go off on a tangent about it. After all, its only human error.

**Disclaimer: **The rightful owner of _One Piece _is **Eiichiro Oda. **I simply own the main female character, _Lavender, the Occult _and the island of _Hickorytown, it's recidents and any other OC featured in the story unless stated other wise. _:-)

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><p><strong> insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l]

** 1. **not satiable; incapable of being satiated or appeased

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><p>When Bepo had showed the kitchen to Lavender for the very first time, the poor thing almost had a heart attack. While everything else in the ship seemed relatively clean, the kitchen was solid proof that the ship indeed lacked a woman and that most of the men were bachelors.<p>

With an inward gasp, Lavender rushed past Bepo and began to ramble about everything that was wrong in the kitchen. Plates and cups had been unwashed and stacked in the sink, blotches of sauces were visible on the walls and counters, pots and pans were piled on the stove, unwashed with burnt crust at the edges. And the cabinets… They weren't even organized. How did they know where to look for the things they needed? Some plates and cups where carelessly placed in one cabinet, while some more plates and bowls were in another and- was that a boot? She watched in horror as the contents of one of the drawers became known to her.

"Is… Is that a ratchet? " she inquired weakly as she eyed at the oily tool and other different things mixed in with the dining ware.

Bepo shuffled closer until he was standing directly behind the woman, and looked into the drawer.

"Yes."

"Oh God almighty," Lavender breathed out and sat down on a nearby stool, "how can you live like this?"

The first mate gave no response, though looked at the ground almost guiltily. Lavender paid him no mind as she eyed one of the cabinets that hung askew. Well, of course it was crooked. It was hanging on the top hinge, the door completely unattached from the bottom hinge. Her eyes then dropped to the floor. Before she closed them, and took a calming breath to stop her hands from shaking. Standing up, she walked over to the fridge. The outside of it had specks of brown, but when she opened it, she was surprised to find it clean and filled. She blinked, closed the door and then made her way to the pantry, only to find it in a relatively similar state as the inside of the fridge. Though it could a bit of organizing…

Turning around, she cast Bepo a pleading look.

"Mister Bepo," she cooed clasping her hands together, "won't you help me clean a bit? Pretty please? The faster I get the place cleaned up, the quicker I can start making breakfast."

At the word '_breakfast'_ Bepo's round ears perked.

"Breakfast? But it's night time," he commented.

"I know, but I feel like it'll take me all night to clean the kitchen," Lavender murmured almost pitifully, "and I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that the kitchen is like this, nor can I make food for the crew."

There was a pause and the bear nodded. Lavender beamed, then proceeded to clap her hands together and twirl a little.

"Oh, thank you Mister Bepo!" she chirped, "you're such a blessing."

At the complement, the white bear blushed, causing Lavender to giggle a little. So, the two began to clean.

Bepo left to find a box that no one used, while Lavender began to look around, gathering things that certainly did not belong in the galley. Plucking out the ratchet she'd found earlier along with a wrench, she scrunched her nose. Placing them on she counter, she went to find a small container for the smaller things that she'd found, such as the nuts and bolts that were hiding amongst the cups and plates. The bear returned with the box and placed it on the floor and began to fill it with the things that Lavender had so far gathered.

While pulling out plates from one of the cupboards, something caught Lavender's attention. A stack of papers? Moving some chipped mugs aside, she soon discovered that it was a magazine. Blinking, she stood on her toes as she reached for it. It slipped trough her fingers, fell forwards, and landed on the counter (but not before smacking her in the face). Glancing down, she noted that it had opened to a desultory page. Picking it up, she took a long, good look at the page. Slapping the pages shut, she turned around, and _flung_the thing into the box. Bepo, who had been placing an engine part into the box, jumped back as the magazine nearly hit him. Placing the piece of metal into the box, the bear reached for the magazine and opened it up.

Meanwhile, Lavender was still recovering from what she saw. With one hand on the counter for support and then other covering her face, as she prayed for strength from her god. _I'm on a ship filled with perverts, _she thought as she felt her cheeks burn from the memory of the nude woman in the magazine. Or rather- nude _women. _The audacity of someone bringing and hiding something like that in the kitchen!

"This is Shachi's," Bepo commented and placed the magazine back into the box, completely un-phased by the explicit images.

Lavender's cheeks burned even more as she took a shaky breath and lowered her hand and turned to face the open cabinet. She shook her head and cleared her throat. _N-never mind the magazine, _she told herself, _lets just focus on getting this place clean._

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><p>For the next few hours, Bepo helped Lavender clean out the cabinets, do the dishes (Lavender decided that <em>all<em> the dining ware should be washed: Lavender washed and Bepo dried), organized things. Occasionally Bepo would go and find something for Lavender, and when she'd asked for a screwdriver, he returned with Penguin. Explaining sheepishly to the man that one of the cabinets needed to be fixed, he nodded, and offered to fix it for her. Pleased with this, she agreed and went back to putting the dishes away into their respective places. Plates and bowls went into one cabinet, while mugs and glasses went to the one next to it. Pots and pans went into the cabinets under the counter and even the kitchen utensils and dining ware were sorted and placed into the drawers neatly.

When Penguin was done, she thanked him and sent the man and bear away, leaving her alone with a sponge, rag, mop, broom, dustpan, a pail of water, and a bottle of all-purpose cleaner (courtesy of Bepo). It wasn't until six in the morning when she'd finished wiping the counters and walls and sweeping and mopping the floor. Once it was all to her satisfactory, she brought all the cleaning supplies into the closet not too far from the galley. Bepo had been kind enough to tell her where to bring them once she was done. She returned to the kitchen and sat down on one of the log benches by one of the few log dining tables. Lavender huffed softly and then rested both arms on the table and placed her head on her arms. Her chest rose and fell as her arms felt a bit heavy.

When Lavender had lived with her aunt, she had to do little cleaning. The place was always kept clean, so there wasn't any heavy duty cleansing to do, expect when it was time to do the annual spring cleaning. It was same for the bakery- sure she had to do more cleaning there, but it wasn't as much work to do there than here! _No worries,_ Lavender thought to herself, _I won't let the kitchen become like that again. _Feeling her eyelids grow heavy, she closed them, promising herself that it was only to rest her eyes.

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><p>It felt like only a few seconds later when someone shook the chef. Her eyelids fluttered open and her head shot up. With wide eyes, she looked around until her gaze locked with the mirthful gaze of her captain. Her mouth opened, closed, and then opened again. Lavender was at a loss of words. With a smirk, Law turned around and walked over to one of the other tables with leisure. There was a blue book tucked under his arm.<p>

"I like my coffee black, Miss Lavender."

It took the stupefied blonde a few moments to realize what he was talking about, but when she did realize, she shot up and took off into the kitchen with a 'yes captain'. Law chuckled and sat down, sitting on the bench and leaned back against the wall. It was his table. While two of the other tables were pressed against the wall between the hall way and the galley, and the other two tables were pushed against the opposite wall, where as the captain's table was pressed against the outer wall of the ship, so that when Law leaned back, his head would be next to one of the port holes. Each table had two log benches on each side, save for Law's, who sat alone.

Law could hear rummaging in the kitchen, the fridge close, several pans clattering. The familiar sound of the coffee machine hissing brought a smirk to Law's face. Soon, the smell of bacon wafted through the air as it began to sizzle in the captain and doctor, engulfed in his book, grinned lazily.

Peering out of the kitchen, Lavender made an incoherent sound before asking:

"How many people are in this crew?"

"Five, excluding you and me."

The young woman nodded slowly and then retreated back into the kitchen to check on the bacon before pulling out the plates and other necessities. Brining them out into the galley, she began to set the tables before rushing back into the kitchen to make sure that the bacons weren't burning, before walking back out with cups and glasses. All the while she ran back and forth between the rooms, occasionally staying in the kitchen for a long time, Law observed her from the top of his book. Lavender made no effort to hide her exhaustion, but was still attentive to the food and making sure that all the necessary items were set on the table neatly. He pulled the book towards his chest as the woman set his table. She even had the ardor to smile and be patient when putting the dining utensils _neatly_down on the table.

When Shachi had been the chef, it was often that one would have two knives and no fork, or someone would just have a spoon. Unlike him, Lavender made sure that everyone had two of everything!

There was some more rummaging coming from the kitchen and the woman appeared with different bread spreads and distributed them between the two tables. The tables and benches were large enough to easily fit six people, for they seemed like they were made for ten (five on each side).

The door to the galley opened and Bepo walked in. His beady eyes took in the set table, and then his captain who seemed very pleased as Lavender poured the hot, steaming coffee into his ceramic mug. The woman turned to the giant bear and flashed him a smile.

"Good morning, Mister Bepo," she greeted.

"Good morning," the bear replied, then turned to the captain and bowed slightly, "good morning, Captain."

"Good morning, Bepo," Law chuckled.

He reached out for his mug and took a sip. The hot substance burned his throat slightly, but it was good. It wasn't mild, but it wasn't strong either. Just somewhere between the two. Bepo took a seat on the set table with his back facing to his captain. His ears perked when Lavender emerged with a large platter of eggs and bacon in one hand, and several baskets of bread on the other. She set the food down on both tables and smiled. Bepo dug in, where as Law placed some of the food on his plate, though resumed reading, occasionally nibbling his food.

The smell of the bacon eventually roused and lured the rest of the crew members out into the galley. They were all dressed in uniform, albeit a bit ruffled as if they had been carelessly tossed to the floor the previous night. The first one to enter the galley from the group of men- was a boy, much to Lavender's surprise. He wore a white jumpsuit, similar to the one that Penguin and Shachi, though the top part was left unzipped and the sleeves were tied around his waist, revealing a black t-shirt. He bellowed a loud 'good morning' not taking any note of Lavender as he took his seat opposite of Bepo and Lavender. He wore a yellow beanie hat with the Heart Pirates emblem. Around his neck hung a pair of steampunk goggles. As he he began to scarf down some toast with butter and jam smeared on the surface, the blonde woman noticed that he was missing one of his front teeth.

As the boy was about to bite down on his second piece of toast, a fist collided with his head. Lavender jumped in her seat. Her eyes grew wide as she gaped at the scene. A much older man with slowly graying brown hair with a mild case of alopecia and an impressive bushy mustache, wearing the white jumpsuit that everyone else seemed to be dressed in, glared down at the child. Shachi dragged his feet over to the table, his hat sat crooked on his head, and his brown hair seemed a bit tousled. He took a seat on the outer part of the bench as the old man scolded the boy for his "appalling table manners".

Penguin joined them too, a bit more animated than Shachi, but still quite tired. The bird themed hat wearing pirate took a seat next to Lavender (who had sat down next to Bepo) and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Can't ye' see tha' 'yer in th' pr'sence o' a lady!" the man exclaimed, took a hold of the boy's head and turned it so that the boy was facing Lavender, who in return, smiled back nervously.

The two stared at each other for the longest time. The boy didn't even blink as he kept his eyes on Lavender's face. The said female became apprehensive under the boy's scrutinizing gaze and felt her smile start to crack. The boy then wiped his mouth on his arm, brushing away any bread crumbs or blotches of butter and jam before inquiring rather rudely.

"Who th' bloody 'ell are you!"

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><p>Oh maaaaannnn… I started typing this chapter right after I posted the previous one- and I gotta say, I got stuck half way through. Though I managed to unstuck myself, lolol. Anyways, in this chapter we got to meet more of the members in Law's pirate crew. Their names aren't mentioned in this one, though they will be identified in the next chapter.<p>

The little boy at the end is so far one of my favorite OCs. :-)

Please review! I would appreciate it a lot and constructive criticism is always welcome (in fact, I encourage it). It also motivates me since I'm such a lazy person… /shot


	7. Man Eating Monsters

**Author's note: **Oh maaaaan, o' man. I'm on a roll here! :-D

Thank you to all those who reviewed chapter six. I know it wasn't much, but I'm trying!

**Warning!**Run on sentences ahead.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own One Piece nor it's characters and places. _They are __**all**__ the property of __**Eiichiro Oda.**_

On the other hand, _everything else that is __**not**__ a part of the manga, anime or is concidered OC, belong to me, __**EasterBasket**__, unless stated otherwise._

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><p><strong>insatiable <strong>[in-sey-sh_u_h-bu_h_l]

**1. **not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased

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><p>The scenery blurred by. Plants and flowers whirred as someone ran down a steep hill. Something above the trees cried out, egging the frightened person to run faster. Their footsteps <em>thudded<em>noisily against the earthy ground, making the surface beneath her feet sound hollow. A shadow loomed over their slim figure. Distracted by the sudden shade, their foot snagged on a root, tripping them.

A shrill scream ran through the air, followed by a loud roar. Lavender's brown eyes widened as she rolled on to her back. The large reptilian beast above her, snorted a puff of warm air on her. It reared, and then opened it's large jaws, revealing large, yellowing teeth roughly around the length of her arm. It roared once more and plunged its head towards her. She screamed again, shielding her face while clutching a brown bulky sack with her other arm.

Though just as death was about to knock on her door, the large dinosaur had become distracted as something hit it's leg. Pausing, it stood up straight and looked for the source. A rock was thrown from somewhere in deep in the bushes, hitting the beast. It roared, and then turned to the fauna. Lavender, seizing the opportunity, slowly began to crawl away. She remained on her back, keeping her frightened eyes on the predator.

Suddenly, a hand clasped over her mouth, and with a muffled cry, she was pulled into the undergrowth. She trashed, though an arm wrapped around her waist, and a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Lavender, Lavender!" the voice hissed as quietly as possible, "it's okay, it's me."

"P-penguin?" she stammered, keeping her voice as low as she could. Placing a hand over the one on her mouth, she pulled her crew mate's hand away. She tilted her head back, which now pressed against his chest, "it's you!"

Relief flooded her trembling body, and she found herself able to breath easy once more. Shifting the sack that rest on her stomach, she sat up and turned to face the man.

"I got it," she whispered, motioning to the object in her arms.

Penguin nodded and then guided her away from the dinosaur. Though the question remained- what had distracted the dinosaur? The pirate leading her informed her that it had been Shachi and his nephew, Ronald. Remembering the sling shot wielding child, Lavender nodded. So they were all safe after the temple had collapsed. _Thank goodness,_she thought.

Over the past few days she had become familiar with the rest of the crew members. Ronald, the young boy was the son of Shachi's brother, and the older, balding man was Shachi's uncle. He was simply called 'Old Man' by the others, though both Law and Lavender preferred to call him by his given name, Sam. The young lad wearing the beanie was quite the rambunctious being, and could be often heard yelling at the machinery or arguing with both his uncles (**a/n**: _Since Sam is the uncle of Shachi and his brother, then that would make both Shachi and Sam Ronald's uncle, though the older of the two would sorta be like a 'great uncle'_).

Sam, was a mirthful and polite old man. Lavender liked his company, and he often made her think of home. Perhaps it was how he acted- how he was always smiling and laughing, gladly sharing stories of when he had still been in his prime. He was the one who controlled ship and did most of the repairs. Well, the more complicated ones that is. Most of the fixing and maintenance was done by either Shachi, Penguin, or Ronald, but mainly Shachi and Penguin since Ronald had the tendency to beat the pipes or pressure meter with a wrench just to 'get them to work'.

He was also the one that Lavender had the most difficulty being acquainted to. Since the boy had the tendency to ask personal questions quite boldly, the chef found herself in a handful of awkward situations many times a day. She remembered that the morning after she had made them breakfast for them very first time, she had been busy making pancakes when Ronald had appeared in the kitchen…

_"'ey, cook! Ye' sweet on th' Capt'n o' sumthing'?"_

The question had come out of no where unexpectedly that she had almost almost dropped the frying pan. Her cheeks burned as she sputtered a reply that could have been summarized simply by the word '_no_'. She then proceeded to shoo the boy out of the kitchen, inquiring weakly if he had any chores to do. Lucky for her, he did.

Lavender flushed at the memory as Penguin grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. He led her cautiously through the plants, occasionally stopping to listen. The large reptile that had chased Lavender earlier roared somewhere in the distance, and a large, pre-historic bird squacked somewhere above their heads. The young strawberry blonde flinched. Why did her first official adventure as a member of the Heart Pirates have to be on a large island mainly populated by monsters that should be long dead? What puzzled her even more, was the fact that there was an actual settlement at the coast of the jungle like island.

They had done a bit of shopping when they had first arrived at the island. The locals were friendly, despite their visitors being pirates. The welcoming was warm and their time shopping was pleasant. They had managed to get all the supplies they needed, including several things for the kitchen and pantry, and some clothes for Lavender that fitted warmers climates. Which brought her attention to what she was wearing at the moment. She had the _pleasure_ of going clothes shopping with Penguin, Shachi, _and _Rodney. Penguin and Shachi had argued between two different outfits for her to wear during their stay in the island. Lavender protested- rather meekly, mind you, against both outfits, until Rodney stepped in, handed her a gray shirt, green shorts that reached the mid section of her thighs, brown boots that reached the mid-area of her shins, and dark brown suspenders.

She had no qualms about the outfit, though the shorts were a bit too short in her opinion, but didn't say anything. They fit her well, though the suspenders pulled on the pants, making her feel uncomfortable. But alas, that should be the least of her worries… Letting Penguin guide her, Lavender tried re-adjusting the sack in her arm, though the uneven ground and a branch laying on her path, caused her to drop the item. She squeaked, halted, pulling Penguin back and reached for the sack.

A loud screech not too far from them was enough to drain the color from their faces. Penguin looked pale, where as Lavender looked sickly pale.

"Run, run, run!" Penguin ushered, his eyes wide as the earth beneath them shook and the large plant leaves around them rustled violently.

Snatching the treasure, Lavender followed Penguin who still held onto her wrist. The roar was heard again, but this time it was disturbingly _close_. Just in time- Penguin pulled Lavender to the side as something big and black leaped out of the plants and stood right in front of them. Turning around, the duo ran back the way they had came from, with this large monstrous animal chasing them. It had two large powerful teeth coming down from the top row of it's teeth, much like a mouse or a rat, and it's body was built like a bear's, though the lower part of it smaller than the upper one, like a gorilla's.

"S-split up!" Penguin called out over his shoulder.

Lavender's brown eyes widened and panic flashed in them.

"What?" she cried out, "n-no! Penguin!"

With a startled cry, the strawberry blonde stumbled to the side as she was pushed, and then fell into what looked like a bramble bush. She watched in horror as the beast chased Penguin until they vanished from sight. Despite her body protesting, she picked herself up and staggered out on the path. Her eyes were still wide, though this time, they were glassy- as if she was about to cry. And cry she did. She bit her lip as the first tear slid down her cheek. Reaching out with one hand, she wiped it away, only to have more salty drops of liquid drip down.

Sniffling, Lavender readjusted her grip on the object in her hands. _I'm alone,_the thought seemed so foreign, but as it sunk in and realization hit her, she whimpered:

"I'm alone."

A strangled laugh slipped through her lips.

"I'm _alone_," she whispered, voice trembling, "_oh God, I'm alone._"

Shaking her head she sniffled again and wiped the tears away. Lavender decided to do the only thing that came to mind… She chased after Penguin and the man eating monster.

* * *

><p>Two chapters in one day! It's absurb, isn't it? This chapter I dedicate to the wonderfully addicting game- <em>Temple Run.<em>Seriously, ohmygod. I apologize for any spelling errors. Like the last…six chapters, this hasn't been proof read by anyone, but myself. This chapter is also a bit short, I mean, it's less than 2,000 words, which disappoints me a bit.

_Ugh._

Anyways. I'm going to spend my weekend at my friends summer cottage out in the bush where there is no running water and the only source of electricity is their sun panels. :-D Whoo! Though I think I'll be able to continue typing the next chapter, but wait! There's more, Monday my dad's taking me to my _lovely_ aunt's house. I'll be staying there 'til Friday, and she's just so…racist and judgemental, that sometimes it feels like she's personally attacking me for my religion and stuff. Not that I don't like her, 'cause I do. She's family.


	8. MOVED

Hello everybody!

I'm not dead, just really inactive. I've actually stopped using and moved to greater things.

Namely Archive of Our Own. Or perhaps that's just me being biased? Anyways, I'll be moving this story (as well as rewriting it a bit) to my account over there. The link to my account will be on my profile.

Thank you, and I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates.

-EasterBasket


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